A Match Made in Heaven

On July 21, 2008 we had to put our beloved Golden Retriever, Hildebrand’s Remington Noelle, a/k/a Remi, to sleep. She was almost 12 years old and had brought us incredible joy over the years. This occurred on the same day Ray had surgery on his broken hip. We were grief-stricken but were so consumed with his therapy that a new puppy was out of the question.

When Ray came home from therapy in November, we decided to get another dog. I had decided to get a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel next simply because I thought something smaller that could curl up in Ray’s lap would be the best thing. Ray, however, had other ideas. He had his heart set on another Golden Retriever and absolutely wanted nothing else. I began trying to locate a Golden although I decided that a little puppy would be more than I could handle so I looked for a dog that was one to three years old and had already been trained. Then on January 6, it was determined that Ray had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage as the result of a fall and we spent the next month in ICU at St. Luke’s Baptist Hospital. He was released to return to RIOSA the end of January and of course all plans for another dog were again placed on hold. He had to enjoy the wonderful therapy dogs from Penny’s from Heaven at RIOSA. While he loved them, it wasn’t the same as having his own.

Toward the end of May, as we were planning to return home, the search for a dog began again in earnest. I didn’t have enough to do with bringing Ray home much more disabled that he had ever been and thus requiring substantially more care, I was bringing a dog into the house to train. One day I was contacted by a local Golden Retriever breeder who I had spoken with some time before. She came highly recommended by a veterinarian, and her dogs were some of the finest in the state.

Barbara Bennett began telling me about a retired Air Force nurse who had purchased a male puppy from her in 1998. She said the nurse had passed away as a result of cancer but that her primary concern during her last months was who was going to take care of Albert. I quickly told Barbara that while I appreciated the offer, I did not want a male dog and I did not want a 10 year old dog. She kept trying to persuade me and I kept resisting until she said “just go meet him!”. I agreed to go out to his house to meet Albert who was being cared for by the executrix of his mother’s estate. I went strictly out of courtesy because I did not want a 10 year old male dog.

I drove out to meet Albert and fell in love at first sight. He was healthy, happy, exuberant and so typically a loving, eager to please Golden Retriever. They told me he had not been around men very much and they weren’t sure how he would react. I asked if I could take him with me to visit Ray at RIOSA and they agreed.

We walked into Ray’s room and Albert went directly to him and laid his head on Ray’s knee and stayed there for about 3 hours. It was love at first sight for them too. I took Albert back to his home and we made plans to pick him up the day Ray was released from RIOSA.

Albert has been the perfect addition to our family. It took Rayne, our Ragdoll cat, a couple of weeks to get accustomed to him but one evening she came in, rubbed up against him and laid in the curvature of his tummy – just like she used to do with Remi. Albert just laid there with big eyes and didn’t move, not quite sure what to expect. Now, that is how Rayne and Albert sleep – cuddled up together just like Rayne and Remi used to do.

I had bought Albert a big new bed and put it in a corner of the bedroom – I kept waking up and finding it moved to the floor beside my bed. I’d put it back in the morning and the following morning it was back beside the bed. Albert now sleeps on his bed, with Rayne, on the floor on my side of the bed.

Several weeks ago, Ray fell in the bedroom and I could not get him up. Albert went in and laid down with his head on Ray’s chest until EMS got there to transport him. When they arrived, Albert went to the corner and laid down – out of the way, but watching them closely.

This was a match made in heaven and I think Miss Margaret is looking down with great happiness to know that her boy has a good, loving home. Albert needed us as much as we needed him.

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About Suzanne’s Blog

Suzanne Hildebrand, is the widow of retired SAPD Detective, retired District Attorney Criminal Investigator and Live Oak Mayor Ray Hildebrand who suffered a massive stroke in 2008 and died on July 23, 2010. Suzanne is the founder of MADD in Texas, was appointed to serve on the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards & Education (TCLEOSE) by Governor Bill Clements, and currently serves on the Texas Council on Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke appointed by Governor Rick Perry. She also served on the Bexar County Jail Population Committee. While Suzanne’s main passion is stroke care and issues, her blog also addresses patient care, grief, political issues and items of general interest.